Good afternoon, y’all. Last time, we talked about the most recent release by Canadian neofolk trio Musk Ox and the news that their music was being featured in the CBS medical/mystery drama Watson. (In case you missed it, episode 2, which broadcast about two weeks ago, set their song “Weightless” against a montage wrapping up the various storylines near the end of the show.)

Anyway, at that time I had promised more music from Musk Ox members would be forthcoming, and so here we are. The group’s cellist (and co-writer/arranger) Raphael Weinroth-Browne put out his first solo record back in 2020, which at the time was met with plenty of acclaim on this website. But the following year, he released a brand new version of the whole thing re-recorded live, which we’ll take a look at here. And to cap things off, we’ll also check out an EP the cellist created in collaboration with Chicago-based Warr guitarist Jason Blake, just about eleven months ago.

 

Raphael Weinroth-Browne – Worlds Within Live (self-released, 02 July 2021)

 

Jason Blake featuring Raphael Weinroth-Browne – Candles Burn (7d Media, 05 April 2024)

 

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When we first discussed Worlds Within, almost five years ago, yours truly was impressed by the fascinating layers and wide variety of sounds Mr. Weinroth-Browne coaxed out of his instrument. Well in this new version of the album, he has managed to re-create all those same layers and sounds while recording the whole thing live. Of course, some looping has been employed here so that he could harmonize with himself, and set a foundation of rhythmic background over which to layer gorgeous melodies — as an example, see the intricately syncopated rhythms present throughout “From Above.”

In preparation for writing this article, I had revisited both the original album and the live version multiple times each, and my main takeaway from that process is, if you haven’t yet heard either rendition (it doesn’t matter which one), please rectify that ASAP. It’s a rare feat to produce an LP full of solo classical instrumental works AND to have each piece stand out memorably, but even now after several years since their initial release dates, I found myself reacting to each new section of melody, saying to myself, “oh yeah this was a good one,” or “oh I remember really liking this part,” etc., the whole way from the opener “Unending I” to the finale of “Unending II.”

Having said that, the artist has done such a remarkable job of re-creating the entire original composition in the newer live recording, that I don’t know whether I could insist in good faith that you need to run out and purchase a copy of the new one IF you already had owned the original. Don’t get me wrong: they aren’t completely identical — for example, occasionally the tempos are a little slower in the live version and the overall run time is a bit longer. So it isn’t like a band releasing a remastered version of a classic album with barely any perceptible changes to the sound. And in any case, both versions are highly recommended for listening the whole way through. But if you don’t already own a copy, by all means please do yourself a favor and grab at least one or the other! Because you won’t be disappointed either way.

 

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Our second item on today’s agenda is 2024’s Candles Burn which features Jason Blake on Warr Guitar, which is a style of guitar with an extremely wide neck and a high number of strings, designed to play bass and melody parts simultaneously by tapping the notes on the neck. Interestingly, this produces a similar percussive effect to the one Raphael Weinroth-Browne often employs when creating backing rhythms on the cello, so a combination of the two instruments seems like quite the natural fit.

The three tracks that comprise this EP make full advantage of both instruments’ versatility, sometimes having the tapped bass strings of the Warr setting an undertone for a dancing melody on the cello, other times it’s a furiously bowed rhythm on the cello in the background or a combination of both, while the two musicians simultaneously pluck out point and counterpoint interwoven together. These heavier rhythms and the guitar’s resemblance to an electric bass tone give the overall impression of a hard prog-rock or even flirting with prog-metal territory, but the classical feel provided by the cello make for a unique combination that transcends any of those individual styles.

 

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RWB‘s live album is available here (digital – physical editions all sold out), while the JB+RWB EP may be found over here (digital/CD).
 

 

Raphael Weinroth-Browne: website | Bandcamp | Instagram
 
Jason Blake: Bandcamp
7d Media: website | Bandcamp